Thank you for booking your holiday with us.
We hope you find this information useful and that it will help you to prepare for your gulet cruise holiday with us.
Emergency Contact
If your family need to contact you whilst you are on the gulet they can call us on the following numbers via WhatsApp or a regular call:
+90 (0) 538 593 5032 Anne Bektas
+90 (0) 537 692 9106 Adil Bektas
email: anne@meridiantravels.com
Please be aware that we have phone service in most bays but occasionally we may be out of service overnight.
Luggage
Aboard the gulet there is limited storage space, please do not bring large suitcases onboard. We advise you to bring only what you need for this trip. You will also find it useful to have luggage with wheels as you’ll need to carry your luggage the short distance through the marina to the gulet.
To help you to pack lighter you’ll find a hairdryer in your cabin. Bathroom and beach towels are also provided.
Electricity
European—two round pins, bring an adaptor with you. Electricity for charging mobile phones, cameras, Kindles etc is available when in port (first and last nights) or during the evening when the generator is on. Electrical current: 220v, 50Hz
Currency
The currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira (TL) although Euros and Pounds Sterling are readily accepted. You can pay your onboard expenses (drinks, excursions) in Euros or Pounds Sterling so you don’t need to worry about the exchange rate. Of course, Turkish Lira are also accepted.
You will get a much better rate in Turkey than in your home country. Change your currency onboard or at a Currency Exchange Shop in Marmaris or Fethiye.
Internet
If staying connected is important to you please arrange for an international data package with your mobile phone provider in the UK, ensuring you understand the charges you will incur. Wifi isn’t available for you onboard.
Dietary Requirements—if you have specific needs you may want to bring your own snacks/bread etc as they may be difficult to find in Turkey. Please ensure you have advised us of your dietary requirements BEFORE your arrival by logging into your booking.
Snacks—Full board is included in your holiday but please feel free to bring any extra snacks you might like to have. There’s nowhere better than Turkey to buy dried fruit and nuts!
Water & Drinks
Tipping & the Crew
Fiction
Birds Without Wings—Louis de Bernieres. A tragic love story set after the First World War. Based upon one of the villages we visit, the story chronicles the rise of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The Thread—Victoria Hislop. For the first time a young Anglo-Greek hears his grandparents story of how they had to flee their home in a Turkish village and escape to Greece and further persecution.
Middlesex—Geoffrey Eugenides. An interesting story of how a gene passes through 3 generations of Greeks. The story starts in a Turkish village and follows their journey of a new life in America.
Portrait of a Turkish Family—Irfan Orga. The story of a wealthy bourgeois family in Istanbul in the early 1900’s.
Seven Houses: A Novel Alev Lytle Croutier. From a grand villa in Smyrna to a silk plantation near Mount Olympus, from a little cottage in a dusty town to the indifferent apartments of a modern day high rise, Seven Houses charts the rocky, uncertain course of one family’s ever-shifting fortunes across the twentieth century.
The Janissary Tree— Jason Goodwin. A historical mystery novel set in Istanbul in 1836, written by Jason Goodwin. It is the first in the Yashim the Detective series, followed by The Snake Stone, The Bellini Card, An Evil Eye and The Baklava Club.
Reference
The Turks Today—Andrew Mango. About Turkey’s development since the death of the founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1938 until today.
Anatolian Days and Nights—Stocke and Brenner. A travel memoir which is a love affair with Turkey.
Tales From the Expat Harem—Various Authors. A series of short stories sharing the experiences of foreign womenliving in Turkey.
Turkish Reflections—Mary Lee Settle. A cross-country odyssey into history, legend, mystery and myth.
Essential Items
Walking Boots—Leather or waterproof fabric, with or without ankle support and they need to be broken in. Trainers or walking sandals are not recommended for this terrain which is loose and stony. NOTE: these paths and trails are rocky and littered with loose stones. Appropriate hiking footwear MUST be worn.
2 or 3 pairs of walking socks. Blisters can be avoided by wearing a thin sock underneath (not cotton) or buy a pair of ‘guaranteed not to blister’ socks which are made up of two layers.
Very Useful Items
Walking Poles—a pair works best; they are not essential, but good for balance on uneven ground and helps to protect your knees (even young ones!)
Waterproof anorak and trousers—lightweight (April, May, Oct) Generally we don’t hike in the rain, these are only for the odd occasion we might be caught out.
Extra fleece or sweater to put on during a stop, also necessary during the evenings in April and October
Trousers/shorts—loose enough not to restrict your movement. Jeans aren’t a good idea for walking. Zip off trouser legs are useful
Hat— don’t under-estimate how easy it is to become overheated when we are hiking. A sun hat can also help to protect your scalp and nose from sun burn.
Rucksack (day pack) to carry water, camera, packed lunch and other bits and pieces
Re-fillable Water Carrier—There are a range of plastic bottles, flasks and Platypus type water systems. You will need to drink 2 to 3 litres each day.
Swimwear & beach towel, sun screen, sun glasses, sun hat
Non-essential – but these might be useful to you!
Flip flops/soft soled shoes—shoes aren’t worn onboard, but the deck can be very hot in June—September. They are also useful at the mudbaths. They should have clean soles and not hold small stones.
Water/beach plastic shoes—these are useful when we have a dinghy transfer and you have to climb onto a pebbly beach from the dinghy
Binoculars—maybe!
Walking Sandals—useful for a couple of short walks and excursion day.
Basic First Aid kit
Anti-histamine tablets and/or creams—many people discover hayfever type allergies in a different environment, useful for bee stings too!
Insect Repellent—gel with 50% DEET is useful. Sprays are OK but they tend to get blown away rather than go on your skin!
After Bite—an ammonia stick is the only thing to stop the itching after a mozzy bite
Blister protection—such as Compede etc—carry a variety of strategies to deal with hot spots or blisters that can occur from your boots and socks which will get damp
Sunburn cream and Lip Balm
Wet Wipes or hand gel
Headaches/pain relief—Paracetamol or Aspirin
Mild injury—anti-inflammatory such as Nurofen or Ibuprofen
Arnica—for bruising or sprains
Tick Removal Tweezers—walking in woodland areas carries the small risk of being bitten by a tick which should be removed properly to help to prevent Lyme Disease.
NOTE: the walking guide will also carry a small basic first aid kit for personal use.
Passport
Please ensure that your passport will be valid for at least 150 days at the end of the trip.
Visa
With effect from March 2020, British Passport holders no longer need to apply for a visa for travel to Turkey for stays of less than 90 days.
If you hold a passport from a different country you should check whether or not you need a visa https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/ If you plan to visit multiple times or plan to stay for more than 90 days please refer to the Turkish Consulate General for more information.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you have Travel Insurance. You are strongly recommended to book your travel insurance as soon as you have booked your holiday.
It is your responsibility to check you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy; for example illness, injury, death, pre-existing medical conditions, loss of baggage and personal items, cancellation, trip disruption, curtailment, emergency rescue and repatriation. Should you not be able to get cover for any of these (or other) situations then you agree it is your responsibility to cover any costs associated with repatriation or emergency health care.
You must provide evidence of your insurance upon arrival at your destination.
If you choose not to have travel insurance the costs associated with any loss you incur for any reason, due to any cause are solely your responsibility.
Flights
By now you have probably already booked your flights to/from Dalaman airport. Please ensure you have provided your flight details by logging in to your booking.
Transfers
One transfer is provided each way between the gulet and Dalaman airport. It will be arranged to meet flights carrying the highest number of people in your group. If your flights are outside these times we will arrange additional transfers for you. The price for a shuttle transfer (shared with people on other holidays) is £15 per person each way. The price for a private transfer for up to 4 people is £85 per car each way.
Health & Fitness
General Health – if you have limited mobility or have specific needs relating to your health (for example a CPAP machine) please advise us no less than 14 days before you arrive.
Hiking is optional on all of our trips – even a hiking trip! If you intend to hike your health and physical condition must be commensurate with the grades of the hikes.
You will be required to submit a medical questionnaire as proof that you are fit enough to participate in the hikes if you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 70 years of age.
Regardless of your age, if you have a pre-existing medical condition which is not well controlled and has required medical intervention in the past 24 months, you must also complete a medical questionnaire.
Errors & Omissions
We have endeavoured to ensure that the contents of this website are correct. However, we reserve the right to make changes to holiday details or our terms and conditions.